It is now a common practice to used chemical to ripen fruits rather than wait for the fruits to ripe naturally.
This method of ripening fruits has been discovered to be fatal to human health due to the toxicity of the chemicals used.
What is natural ripening?
Natural ripening is a physiological process which makes the fruit edible, palatable and nutritious. In nature, fruits ripen after attainment of proper maturity by a sequence of complex physical and biochemical events.
This is the most desired and innocuous mean of ripening,the fruits of which is recommended to be consumed.
During ripening,fruits soften, changes colour, and characteristic aroma and flavours develop. Several factors like temperature, humidity etc. acts as a catalyst.
Chemical ripening
Also known as "artificial ripening",it is the use of harmful chemicals to induce faster ripening than the normal slow ripening.Although the appearance of such artificially ripened fruits has been found to be improved, the taste and smell are found to be impaired especially when harvested fruits were subjected to treatment without considering their maturity status.
Chemicals use in ripening of fruits
Various chemicals are used in the ripening of fruits.This chemicals are highly toxic with gradual effect on the consumers.The overdose of this chemicals can be deadly and can enhance the effect on humans.
The most common chemicals use for fruits ripening are the Carbon carbide, Ethylene and Ethephon.
Calcium carbide
With the chemical formula of CaC 2,carbide is the most commonly use and the most toxic. It is mainly used industrially in the production of acetylene and calcium cyanamide .
Its main and intended purpose was for the desulfurisation of iron,as a fuel in steelmaking ,as a powerful deoxidizer at ladle treatment facilities and carbide lamps .
Calcium carbide (CaC2) contains arsenic and phosphorus, both of which can prove fatal for human beings. CaC2 is a known carcinogen - an agent having the ability to alter human cells into cancerous cells.
However,it is now common among fruits seller in the ripening of fruits. Used as a source of acetylene gas, which is a ripening agent similar to ethylene .
Calcium carbide is a known carcinogen, a cancer-producing chemical. Irrespective of what quantity you may consume, the chemical is known to have harmful effects on the liver and other parts of the body. It also contains traces of arsenic and phosphorus hydride. Which produces several acute and chronic health effects. The early symptoms of arsenic or phosphorus poisoning include vomiting, burning sensation in the chest and abdomen, diarrhoea, thirst, weakness, difficulty in swallowing, irritation or burning of the eyes and skin, permanent eye damage, ulcers on the skin, irritation in the mouth, nose and throat. Throat sores, cough, and wheezing and shortness of breath may also occur soon after exposure to the chemical. Higher exposure may cause a build-up of fluids in the lungs. Eating artificially ripened mangoes causes stomach upset because the alkaline substance is an irritant that erodes the mucosal tissue in the stomach and disrupts intestinal function. Prolonged exposure to the chemical could lead to peptic ulcer.
Calcium carbide which is a strong reactive chemical and thought to contain carcinogenic properties is now being used to ripen bananas. This chemical, when it comes into contact with water it produces acetylene gas that hastens the ripening in a more similar way as the natural ripening agent ethylene.
It has however been banned in many countries due to its hazardous effect.
Ethylene
This is a hydrocarbon which has the formula C 2 H4 or H2C=CH 2 . It is a colorless flammable gas with a faint "sweet and musky" odour when pure.
Ethylene is widely used in the chemical industry, and its worldwide production exceeds that of any other organic compound . It is used in oxidation, alkylation,Oxo reaction, hydration, dimerization to butenes and niche uses such as anesthestic agent.
It is used in fruit ripening as a very small concentration of ethylene in air is sufficient to promote the fruit ripening process. Externally applied Ethylene is likely to trigger or initiate the natural ripening process of apple, avocado, banana, mango, papaya, pineapple and guava, and therefore, can be sold before the predicted time.
Ethephon
Ethephon is another agent which is used to artificially ripen fruits. Ethephon is often considered better in terms of taking less time than calcium carbide for ripening. The fruits ripened with Ethephon have more acceptable colour than naturally ripened fruits and have longer shelf life than fruits ripened with Calcium carbide.
Ripening of fruits with Ethylene and Ethephon is permissible if used in a limited concentration. Many countries including India has allowed the use of Ethylene and Ethephon for ripening of fruits as it is less harmful if compared with Calcium carbide. But many petitions have been filed to ban these chemicals too due to the indiscriminate use by the traders and the farmers as the they lack the adequate knowledge of their proper use.
How to identify Artificially Ripened fruits?
Many ripe fruits may look good but harmful for consumption.Fruits that look attractive outside may not be good for health. Fruits that have a uniform colour are more likely to have been artificially ripened. The naturally ripened fruits are not uniformly coloured; rather, they are patchy. When tomatoes are uniformly red, or mango and papaya are uniformly orange/yellow, then Calcium Carbide may have been used. Bananas can also be identified if the fruits are all yellow green whereas the stem is dark. While purchasing fruits and vegetables, remember not to select those that are homogenously ripened and with bright, eye-catching colours. The habit of washing and peeling before eating the fruit could help in minimising the health risks associated with the use of Calcium Carbide. It is better to cut the fruit into pieces, rather than to consume them directly. And It is not advisable to buy fruits when they arrive in the market before the due period i.e. early and offseason.
This method of ripening fruits has been discovered to be fatal to human health due to the toxicity of the chemicals used.
What is natural ripening?
Natural ripening is a physiological process which makes the fruit edible, palatable and nutritious. In nature, fruits ripen after attainment of proper maturity by a sequence of complex physical and biochemical events.
This is the most desired and innocuous mean of ripening,the fruits of which is recommended to be consumed.
During ripening,fruits soften, changes colour, and characteristic aroma and flavours develop. Several factors like temperature, humidity etc. acts as a catalyst.
Chemical ripening
Also known as "artificial ripening",it is the use of harmful chemicals to induce faster ripening than the normal slow ripening.Although the appearance of such artificially ripened fruits has been found to be improved, the taste and smell are found to be impaired especially when harvested fruits were subjected to treatment without considering their maturity status.
Chemicals use in ripening of fruits
Various chemicals are used in the ripening of fruits.This chemicals are highly toxic with gradual effect on the consumers.The overdose of this chemicals can be deadly and can enhance the effect on humans.
The most common chemicals use for fruits ripening are the Carbon carbide, Ethylene and Ethephon.
Calcium carbide
With the chemical formula of CaC 2,carbide is the most commonly use and the most toxic. It is mainly used industrially in the production of acetylene and calcium cyanamide .
Its main and intended purpose was for the desulfurisation of iron,as a fuel in steelmaking ,as a powerful deoxidizer at ladle treatment facilities and carbide lamps .
Calcium carbide (CaC2) contains arsenic and phosphorus, both of which can prove fatal for human beings. CaC2 is a known carcinogen - an agent having the ability to alter human cells into cancerous cells.
However,it is now common among fruits seller in the ripening of fruits. Used as a source of acetylene gas, which is a ripening agent similar to ethylene .
Calcium carbide is a known carcinogen, a cancer-producing chemical. Irrespective of what quantity you may consume, the chemical is known to have harmful effects on the liver and other parts of the body. It also contains traces of arsenic and phosphorus hydride. Which produces several acute and chronic health effects. The early symptoms of arsenic or phosphorus poisoning include vomiting, burning sensation in the chest and abdomen, diarrhoea, thirst, weakness, difficulty in swallowing, irritation or burning of the eyes and skin, permanent eye damage, ulcers on the skin, irritation in the mouth, nose and throat. Throat sores, cough, and wheezing and shortness of breath may also occur soon after exposure to the chemical. Higher exposure may cause a build-up of fluids in the lungs. Eating artificially ripened mangoes causes stomach upset because the alkaline substance is an irritant that erodes the mucosal tissue in the stomach and disrupts intestinal function. Prolonged exposure to the chemical could lead to peptic ulcer.
Calcium carbide which is a strong reactive chemical and thought to contain carcinogenic properties is now being used to ripen bananas. This chemical, when it comes into contact with water it produces acetylene gas that hastens the ripening in a more similar way as the natural ripening agent ethylene.
It has however been banned in many countries due to its hazardous effect.
Ethylene
This is a hydrocarbon which has the formula C 2 H4 or H2C=CH 2 . It is a colorless flammable gas with a faint "sweet and musky" odour when pure.
Ethylene is widely used in the chemical industry, and its worldwide production exceeds that of any other organic compound . It is used in oxidation, alkylation,Oxo reaction, hydration, dimerization to butenes and niche uses such as anesthestic agent.
It is used in fruit ripening as a very small concentration of ethylene in air is sufficient to promote the fruit ripening process. Externally applied Ethylene is likely to trigger or initiate the natural ripening process of apple, avocado, banana, mango, papaya, pineapple and guava, and therefore, can be sold before the predicted time.
Ethephon
Ethephon is another agent which is used to artificially ripen fruits. Ethephon is often considered better in terms of taking less time than calcium carbide for ripening. The fruits ripened with Ethephon have more acceptable colour than naturally ripened fruits and have longer shelf life than fruits ripened with Calcium carbide.
Ripening of fruits with Ethylene and Ethephon is permissible if used in a limited concentration. Many countries including India has allowed the use of Ethylene and Ethephon for ripening of fruits as it is less harmful if compared with Calcium carbide. But many petitions have been filed to ban these chemicals too due to the indiscriminate use by the traders and the farmers as the they lack the adequate knowledge of their proper use.
How to identify Artificially Ripened fruits?
Many ripe fruits may look good but harmful for consumption.Fruits that look attractive outside may not be good for health. Fruits that have a uniform colour are more likely to have been artificially ripened. The naturally ripened fruits are not uniformly coloured; rather, they are patchy. When tomatoes are uniformly red, or mango and papaya are uniformly orange/yellow, then Calcium Carbide may have been used. Bananas can also be identified if the fruits are all yellow green whereas the stem is dark. While purchasing fruits and vegetables, remember not to select those that are homogenously ripened and with bright, eye-catching colours. The habit of washing and peeling before eating the fruit could help in minimising the health risks associated with the use of Calcium Carbide. It is better to cut the fruit into pieces, rather than to consume them directly. And It is not advisable to buy fruits when they arrive in the market before the due period i.e. early and offseason.
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